Aging can be a challenging experience, particularly for women. On one hand, we are typically more financially secure and established in our lives than ever before. On the other hand, society seems to treat older women as though we are expired products that have sat too long on the grocery shelf. It is easy to feel invisible and downtrodden, especially when facing difficult periods. It is important to get back up on your feet and empower yourself.
Empower Yourself
Our middle age and older years should be the best years of our lives. Many of us have spent our early years achieving in our careers or building families, and middle age is the time when we can take a step back and actually enjoy the fruits of our labor. If you are looking for a way to feel more empowered in your life, here is a list of 4 steps you can take to empower yourself after 50.
1. Try New Activities
So many of us feel like it’s impossible to take on new activities when we get older, especially ones usually associated with youth. How many times have you heard one of your friends say, “Oh, I wish I’d done that when I was younger…”? Maybe you’ve even said it yourself. However, with a small number of exceptions, it is never too late.
If you don’t believe it, just try searching for some older role models who are achieving your goals. For example, Carmen Dell’Orefice is the longest-working model at age 92, having started her modeling career at age 15. There are multiple pole dancers who are performing, competing, and even winning awards well into their 70s. Some of these dancers only started for the first time when they were in their 50s!
While it might not be a good idea to take up high-impact sports like running (though it is certainly possible), there are many activities out there that you can participate in. Just because an activity is dominated by young people does not mean it is reserved for young people. Overcoming challenges is perhaps the best way to empower yourself and add flavor to your life.
2. Embrace Your Age
So many of us get caught up in trying to hold onto our youth. While there is nothing wrong with coloring your hair or getting treatments to reduce signs of aging, sometimes it is even more empowering to take a step back from these anti-aging treatments and embrace who you are now.
Perhaps you loved to do wild and bright makeup looks when you were younger, but you don’t like how the same looks you wore at 20 look on you now. Instead of settling into despair, you might want to try searching for makeup tutorials made specifically for aging women. You can do the same with your style. Mature styles don’t have to be boring or outdated. There is an entire world of fashion out there dedicated to older women.
3. Stand In Your Power
If you go against the grain and start to embrace your age, you might receive some pushback. Maybe your husband isn’t enthusiastic about you going gray. Perhaps your friends feel like your stopping Botox treatments is a judgment on their choice to continue. People might question the fact that you are taking up new hobbies and even suggest you are too old to do so. Do not let others put you down for your brave choices; empower yourself.
This is when you will want to call upon the power you have developed through your years of experience. It is your choice of how you want to live your life. Firmly tell your naysayers that you are not interested in compromising your goals to make other people happy—you are far too old to be living your life for others! It’s also important to remember that a lot of the negative comments you get will be coming from a place of insecurity and aren’t about you.
4. Throw Age Out The Window
Wait, didn’t we just say to embrace your age? This might sound like a contradiction, but it can actually be just as helpful to stop letting age dictate the way you live. In fact, you can do both of these things together.
Maybe you realize that your outdated clothing makes you feel frumpy, and you swap it out for a more polished and mature look. At the same time, you decide that you miss traveling and love to salsa. Then you book an impromptu trip to South America and decide to spend your days learning Spanish and your nights dancing—something that might typically be reserved for the younger crowd in your mind.
The point of embracing your age is not to box yourself into a corner, which can also be said for throwing age out the window. Never limit your choices. Always expand your horizons and challenge the way you think about aging. By reframing your relationship with age, you can expand your life and empower yourself.
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